Using the Right Resources for a Do It Yourself Web Design

Small business owners often start out with deciding what to do about their presence on the web. Some companies only do business on the internet. There are others that also have a bricks-and-mortar establishment, and are going to do business through both platforms. Then, there are those businesses who want their presence on the internet for brand building. They are not going to do business online, but they want to have a corporate website.

No matter which of these circumstances may be present, the decision has to be made, as to whether one is going to use the “do it yourself” approach to having a website designed. If this is the decision that is made, then there is a lot that the business owner is going to have to know.

What Are the Resources Available?

For the “do it yourself” web design task, the first thing that needs to be sourced out is the available tools and resources, that are going to help with this project.

Ready Made Designs

A great resource for the inexperienced web designer, is the ready-made designs, or templates, as they are often called. These are comprised of designs that have already been done. There are some negative aspects of using these. One is that they can be difficult to work with if they allow for customisation. The other is if they cannot be customised, then one ends up with a “cookie cutter” design, which means that many other websites will be using the same design.

Colour Resources

Colour plays an important role in the designing of a website, especially for those that are really intent on designing a site that is going to be unique. Colour is also important for the brand building. Often, the colours that are used in logos, and print materials, can be hard to match. For this reason, web designers will source out colour pickers, that allow for colours to be perfectly matched.

Inspiration

One may start out with lots of ideas for the web design, but when they sit down to start this task, their mind goes blank. There are now inspiration resources that can be very helpful in getting the creative juices flowing, that is necessary for web design.

Images

Images play a huge role in the web design. Caution also has to be taken, as to where the web designer is getting those images from. Many on the web come under copyright laws. Research about this must be done, for each image that is taken from the web. Several sites do offer free images. Also, there are sites where one can buy the images.

Typography

Just as the typography is important for businesses on hard copy materials, it is important for the web design. It again should coincide with the branding of the business. There are free typography resources that provide all types and styles.

Icons

A lot of companies like to use icons to bring attention to their business. It helps to create a lasting memory, as the logo does. If one is not an artist, then they may have to pay someone to design an icon for them. But, the cheaper alternative is to use one of the free icon resources. These vary, with the offering of premade icons, to allow the user to design their own.